First Dance Archives

Who doesn’t love a surprise first dance! Especially when it’s set to live music overlooking Brooklyn Bridge.

Amy reached out a few months prior to her May 2019 elopement in NYC. She explained that she and her fiancee lived in Chicago and they planned to elope in NYC and fly out for Europe the very same day. Since they wouldn’t be having a wedding reception, she wanted to have a very intimate and low-key surprise first dance.

The plan:

Amy and Krystal would elope at City Hall and then cross over to Brooklyn Bridge park for pictures. The micro-wedding party included a handful of close girlfriends and the photographer. While the group walked along the boardwalk our musicians would begin to play John Legend’s “All of Me” and follow up with “Your Song” by Elton John.

Are you thinking about a celebrating with a surprise musical performance?

We worked super closely on the planning and coordination with Alexis at City Love Photography. She took all the amazing photos in this post and was instrumental in bringing the day together!

Our mobile “busking” duo included Adam Lomeo on Guitar and Brittany Henderson on vocals. We set up with a battery powered PA system, which really helped as we had to contend with some wind off the water.

Brittany and Adam: pre-set on the boardwalk

Alexis Buryk for City Love Photography

The surprise came off beautifully and it was an absolutely perfect moment with hugs and tears all around!

Elton John’s “Your Song” Live at Brooklyn Bride Park

John Legend’s “All of Me” live at Brooklyn Bridge Park

Who are you planning to wow with a surprise performance?

All About First Dance Instruction

March 6, 2019

Articles and Tips, News, Weddings

Dance Instruction, Dance Lessons, First Dance, Wedding

At Music Dept we love it when couples have lots of fun with the first dance. In this article we are sharing first dance instruction tips from our guest blogger, Simone Assoboeck.

An instructor for the first dance!?

It is becoming very common for couples to hire a dance instructor to get ready for the big day. Ballroom dancing just isn’t as common as it used to be and it can be nerve-wracking for couples. Oftentimes its not about being a bad dancer or shy person, its just that most of us were never taught the basic steps! A dance instructor can quickly put you at ease.

When it comes to dance instructors in New York my absolute favorite is Simone at Dance Together NYC . My wife and I have even taken her classes. I’d like to turn the page over to Simone so that she can share her expert tips:

4 First Dance Instruction Tips from Simone Assboeck:

-Working with my wedding couples I always like to encourage them to start 2-3 months in advance. I know it sounds like a long time but with this time frame its not a big deal if schedules get crazy and you have to miss a week.

– Weekly lessons are the best way to learn. We are creating a new muscle reflex and that learning calls for regular repetition. Weekly dance lessons will make you comfortable and in the moment on the night of the celebration.

– Be ready 10 days before the wedding. Those last 10 days can get busy. Its great to use the last lesson just for polishing purposes.

– Its not just about that one dance! Taking dance lessons is a wonderful way to create a new skill set with each other. All the holiday parties and friend’s weddings are great opportunities to use the moves you have learned.

Simone Assboeck, Dance Together NYC

Dance Instructor as Day of Entertainer

Aside from coaching and rehearsing for the big-dance, I’ve also seen situations where the couple’s dance teacher attends the wedding and acts like a grown up version of a mitzvah motivator!

Suppose that the groom is from Colombia and the bride’s family is from Minnesota: Half the room will have been salsa-dancing all their lives, but wouldn’t it be fun to have an instructor on-hand to help the newcomers find the steps and bring the dance floor together?

Still not feeling the urge to move and groove?

Some couples love to be spotlighted on the dance-floor, but others would just assume skip the dance entirely. Of course we have done weddings without a first dance and that is OK. For our “dance-a-phobic” couples we make sure that our band or DJ knows how to create a succinct and graceful first dance. We observe the body language of both the couple to know when to fade out. I always tell a nervous couple that we won’t leave them out there too long, but most of the time they end up really loving the moment and dancing to the end of the song.

See you all on the dance-floor!

Simone Assboeck with Dance Together NYC

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Surprise First Dance at Brooklyn Bridge Park